Windshield wiper blades are required to perform flawlessly, exhibit a relatively long useful life, and be of minimum cost. Prior attempts to improve wiper blade performance by wiping edge orientation and/or selection of blade material, have not fully solved the problem of wiper blade life and performance. Flexure of the elastomeric material of the blade is generally utilized to properly position the wiping edge of the wiper blade on the surface to be wiped. However, excessive flexure of known wiper blades often leads to premature failure of the wiper blade.